1. Field of the Technology
The present application relates generally to mobile communication devices and the associated communication networks within which they operate, and more particularly to the receiving and sending of voicemail notification messages which include voicemail expiration times for use by mobile communication devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
“Voicemail” is a common feature for practically all voice-based communication products. As examples, home telephone systems now offer voicemail features built right into telephones, telephone companies offer voicemail services in their phone networks, corporations provide voicemail for every desk with integration with e-mail, and wireless carriers offer voicemail packages in connection with their cellular telephones. The average professional may have two or three different voicemail systems that must be checked for new voicemail messages from the home, the office, or cellular telephone. Each voicemail system typically has a different password access and different command codes for the same voicemail functions (e.g. PLAY, REWIND, SAVE, and DELETE).
The result of the above is that the end user must check several different voicemail systems for voicemail while away and remember each set of voicemail command codes. One way to handle this problem is to manually forward all phone calls (i.e. via call forwarding) from all devices to a common unified messaging service (UMS). Here, the end user can check all messages at once from a single voicemail location. However, this solution is prone to problems since the end user may forget to forward phone calls as necessary, may be too busy traveling to regularly check for voicemail messages, and may forget passwords needed to access the voicemail systems.
In U.S. Patent Application Publication US2004/0023643 A1, advanced voicemail message notification and processing for mobile devices are described. Voicemail notification messages corresponding to voicemail messages are received through a wireless receiver of a mobile device and voicemail message header lines corresponding to them are displayed in a message list. The mobile device provides a graphical user interface (GUI) for the end-user with visual objects corresponding to PLAY, REWIND, FAST FORWARD, SKIP BACK, SKIP FORWARD which provides for transparency of voicemail system-specific commands. The mobile device may receive voicemail notification messages from several different voicemail systems and consolidate the processing of such messages using this single common user interface. Each voicemail notification message includes information such as a calling party identifier, a message time stamp, and message length, for use in providing the voicemail message header information in the message list. In addition, each voicemail notification message may include voicemail retrieval/processing information, such as a voicemail access telephone number, a voicemail message identification number, and voicemail message processing commands, for use in providing the system interface transparency.
In systems using such advanced techniques, the voicemail notification message may further include a voicemail message time expiration value associated with the voicemail message. The voicemail message time expiration value represents a time period which, upon expiration, the voicemail message is automatically deleted from and by the voicemail system. This time period may be 30 or 60 days, for example. Prior to the automatic deletion of the voicemail message by the voicemail system, the end user may save or “resave” the voicemail message so that it is kept at the voicemail system for a period of time longer than that initially provided by the voicemail system.
There is a need for improved methods and apparatus for voicemail message deletion alerts at mobile communication devices.